Authors: K. R. Richards
“I’m already taking care of that situation.” Micah spoke, “Chilcompton has met with his staff and is offering very substantial rewards for those in his service regarding anyone attempting to find out information or asking questions
.
If the Brown Coats try to infiltrate Wychcombe House, we will then be aware of who they are a
nd how they are doing it
.
If it works, w
e decide if we want to use their own system to lay a trap for them.”
Harry
smiled.
“Good idea, Micah
.
And you’ve already stated that Chilcompton’s staff is known for their lo
yalty and trustworthiness
.
This
could work
.
It will not hurt to try.”
“I always believed my staff at Horethorne Hall was known for their loyalty and trustworthiness, and
see what happened here?
” Micah frowned
.
“I’m not even certain which one of my staff gave the information
to the Brown Coats on how to get to Libby that
night
.
Simmonds and Mrs. Clarke will get to the bottom of it eventually
.”
“Th
e
re is always someone able to be bought or persuaded
.”
Lyon remarked
.
“I’m going to go into the opium den,” Newt stated matter-of-factly.
“Crow
ordered
Lyon followed all those weeks, and no doubt knows who you are as well, Newt
.
He saw you drag Lyon out of Madame Rosier’s and his Limehouse den
.
He was even having your house watched
!
You can’t do it,” Harry refused
flatly
.
“He knows what Newton Lambrick, Lord Alloway looks like, Harry
.
He won’t recognize Captain Josiah Smith, a harmless, burned out, old sea captain
who’s an
opium addict
.
I’ll go in after
our
meeting
Thursday
.
I’ll have three days to lie on the cushions in a stupor to listen and watch
.
In the event we can’t enact any other plan, and Owen and Gabriel do not find the little girl, we’ll have to go in to the Jasmine Star on Tuesday at noon
.
I’d prefer to do that knowing what we’re walking into, wouldn’t you?”
Harry thought a moment
.
He n
odded
.
“I think you are taking a great risk, Newt, but I do see the wisdom in what you are saying.”
“We’ll put someone to watch outside the den in case
Newt needs back-up.” Lyon reasoned.
“It’s not foolproof
.
It would not be too difficult to kill a man in
side
an opium den
and sneak his body out the back,
” Jack
posed
.
“So, I’ll watch the back while Newt’s inside
.
If I can’t get to you in time, Newt, I can at least make sure you’re not tossed in the Thames
.
Who’s going to take the front?”
“Thanks, Jack
.”
Newt grinned
.
“Wyldhurst, and Lachlan are
both
too large and noticeable to blend in
.
Cleve, you’d make a believable piece of east-end riff-raff.”
Newt
turned
to Cleve Griffith, Lord Templeton.
“I can blend in well enough
.
I’ll do it
.”
Cleve gave his friend a broad grin
.
“I actually know someone in that area I can stay with
.
The place is right across from the den
as happenstance would have it
.”
“Madame Claire?” Newt raised a brow.
“The same.”
“So that is taken care of
.
I still am not comfortable with us traveling in a group to London tomorrow,” Wyldhurst said
.
“This could be a set up
.
They might be forcing us into the open with the scrolls, cruets and sapphire so that they can attack us and take them.”
The group fell silent
.
All
eyes were focused on
Harry.
“We won’t be taking them with
us
,” Micah spoke
after Harry gave him a nod of approval
.
“Are we leaving them here in a house where servants are susp
ected of aiding the Brown Coats?
”
Lachlan asked.
“They are not at Horethorne Hall any longer
.”
Micah rose somewhat stiffly
from his chair
.
“Did Owen and Gabriel take them?”
Jack
asked.
“No
.”
Micah
answered
.
He
looked to Harry.
“Where is Charlie?” Wyldhurst
surveyed those
gathered around in the library
.
“I know Matthias left to
fetch
his daughter from her grandparents
with the new threat against children
hanging above our heads
.
Did Charlie go with him
?
I don’t remember seeing him at all today,
not breakfast, lunch or dinner
come to think of it.”
“No, C
harlie did not go with Matthias
.
Just past dawn this morning, Owen
,
Gabriel
and one of his men
were seen leaving the
Hall
, a
s was Matthias
, with two of Micah’s men
.
But,
Charlie left
last evening on foot
, under the cover of darkness
.
He
and two of Gabriel’s men
went through the wood, past Templecombe and took horse
s
from one of Micah’s
trusted
servant’s families
.
Gabriel’s men rode with him until they were certain no one followed them
.
At that point, Charlie went on alone.
” Harry removed hi
s watch and opened it
.
“He
is probably near to his destination by now
.
He
is hiding
our treasures where they
will
remain safe until this is finished.”
“What if we need them to trade for the little girl next Tuesday?”
Wyldhurst asked.
“We have decoys
.
We would never hand over the real thing, in any
situation
.”
“So how do the Brown Coats know we don’t have the treasures with us when we l
eave tomorrow morning?” Jack
raised a questioning brow.
“They don’t
.
So, we are e
xpecting one attack, maybe more,
”
Micah said solemnly.
“And the ladies will be with us?”
“They have to be
.
We will
protect
them
.
Lyon, Micah and
I
stil
l feel they are safest with us
.
They are still very much in danger, but the three of us would die before we allowed someone to take our wives
or Lady Marston
.
All three of us need to be in London
.
We can’t send our wives off separately without us
.
They are not safe here
.
They are not safe without us
.
So they travel with us
.”
Harry informed his colleagues
with a heavy sigh
.
Harry continued,
“We will number nineteen without Charlie, Owen, Matthias and Gabriel
.
We will all be well armed
.
There will be two carriages, one with the ladies, Micah and Lyon, and the other with
some
luggage
and our extra ammunition
.
A
second carriage might come in handy as a decoy if there is trouble
.
Once we meet with Sir John and the King’s advisors
in London
Thursday,
we’ll be able to formulate a good solid plan
before
Tuesday when we are requested to appear at Crow’s den in Limehouse
.”
Harry exhaled loudly
.
“We leave for London at dawn
.
”
Micah woke as Libby whimpered beside him, her arms flailing about
.
“Libby
!
Sweetheart?” He sat up
and
slid his arms beneath his wife and gathered her to him
.
“S
hh
, Libby,” he crooned in her ear
as he held her close
.
“It’s just a dream
.”
This
was her fourth
nightmare since Owen rescued her from the Brown Coats
.
Micah rubbed her back, kissed her temple as she quieted and stilled
.
He leaned against the back of t
he tall, heavily carved
headboard and just held his lady in his arms
.
She
did
not
wake
this time
.
He wondered what brought
on
the dreams
.
The fear
from her experience
?
Her injuries
?
Even in the moonlight he could see the slash across one side of her face
.
When he looked at Libby he saw only her beauty
.
The light of her soul
.
He knew the long, jagged cut and the fact she would be left with a scar bothered her, though she never mentioned it
.
He could see it on her face when she
saw her reflection
in the mirror
.
She was not a vain woman, so far from it
.
Yet, something about being left with a scar bothered his precious wife
.
He wanted to help her through this, but he
was unsure of
how to go about it
.
Micah just held her until
he knew she slept deeply
.
C
arefully
, he
lay them back down, pulled the covers over them and held his Libby close.
He
decided he
must
talk to her about
her nightmares
.
“Wake up, sweetheart
.
It’s time to go.”
Already dressed,
Micah shook his wife’s shoulder gently.
When her eyes fluttered open, he bent and kissed her quite passionately
.
“Good morning, my beautiful wife
.”
He pulled her naked torso up
and
into his arms as he sat upon the side of the bed.
“Good morning
,
my handsome husband
.”
Libby hugged him back
.
She sighed contentedly as she rested her head against his shoulder
.
She yawned
as she nestled against his warmth
.
“I would very much like to
make love to you
at this moment
,
Libby
.
I fear
Harry would have both our heads if we delayed our traveling party this morning
.
But tonight, once we are at Wychcombe House, Libby, you must prepare to be ravished.”
Micah hugged her tightly to him
.
Libby smiled
.
Her eyes remained closed
.
“I’ll hold you to your word,
husband
.”